Quasar
by Taurus Pixie
Summary: 'My mom and I moved in with her new boyfriend, Charlie, in the hopes of starting a new life', I wrote down before placing down a picture of Charlie and his daughter, Bella. Even through the picture I felt like she was constantly judging me. I'm sick of her. But most of all I'm sick of her using my new friend, Jacob - who I think I may be falling in love with...
1. Coming Out Strong

**Rawr! Why is it that every time I'm in class I come up with a new story and then just completely space out and can't stop thinking about it? Well it happened again and my little daydream in Media class gave birth to this. Does that sound a bit weird or is it me...it's just me. I hope you enjoy. **

**Rated M for awesomeness, strong language and more mature themes; younger humans probably shouldn't read. I don't want to corrupt your mind. **

**I am not Stephenie Meyer, I do not own twilight or the characters and no copyright infringement is intended. This is just for fun.**

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_**~ Quasar ~**_

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_**1: Coming Out Strong**_

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I rested my head against the cold window of the car as my mom drove us down the highway towards Forks. I watched as my breath wove patterns into the glass as the cold rain pounded it from the other side. I focused my eyes onto the Olympic National Park in the distance and the trees seemed to go on for miles. Well they actually did.

The radio hissed pathetically in the background as we continued to drive with the busy traffic and my mom hummed to herself along with the melody of whatever song was on and tapped her fingers against the steering wheel.

"Just a few more miles to our new home honey." She sang with the tune of the song and I rolled my eyes.

"Can't wait." I said unenthusiastically.

"I thought you agreed to this?" Mom said a little startled. "You know I can easily turn the car around and we can go back?"

I sighed. "You already sold the house."

"I know, but we can easily find a new one. Moving in with your old mother's boyfriend and his daughter, that's a big step and I won't pressure you into anything."

"I know." I replied. "I just rather it was under different circumstances."

"Yeah well, fate throws whatever it wants to throw at us I'm afraid." Mom sighed as she pulled off the highway.

I rolled my eyes again. Mom was all about fate. She blamed fate for my dad pissing off with some other woman. She blamed it on fate that life didn't seem to working out for us a few years ago. Now she was blaming fate that she was lucky enough to meet Charlie; a man who finally knew how to treat a woman. A man who was also as socially awkward as my mom was. I had to admit that they were perfect for each other. I'd met Charlie a few times when he used to come up to Port Angeles and date my mom. He seemed like an alright guy. I was a bit intimidated that he was chief of police, but I found him to be really nice. He treated my mom well and it was nice to see a spark in her eyes again. For the first time in months she looked alive.

As for me, I didn't believe in fate. I believed in chance and coincidence; free will. My dad didn't have to run off with that slut. He didn't have to become an alcoholic and my friends certainly didn't have to do what they did to me; although they obviously felt like they did.

"Hey, Danni, we need to talk." Justine said in a slightly guilty tone.

"Okay...?" I replied slightly cautious.

The rest of my friends gathered behind her and looked at her impatiently waiting for her to say what they clearly wanted her to say.

Justine looked at me sympathetically as she twirled her dyed red hair around in her fingers uncomfortable.

"Listen Danni," She gulped out. "It's not that we don't like you, it's just its kind of embarrassing hanging out with you if you know what I mean."

I looked at her in shock.

"We would've told you sooner, it's just that with all the shit that happened with your dad we just, well, we felt sorry for you." Justine explained as gently as she could muster. "No one really likes you and you are a bit weird and all and people keep bullying us for hanging out with you and it has to stop."

"W-what?" I spluttered. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I felt like a thousand knives were stabbing me in the back; I guess that's why they call it backstabbing.

Justine looked to the other girls to help her out.

"Look we're not trying to sound mean or anything." Katie added.

"It's annoying how you always cling to us and stuff and then that makes us look bad for letting the school freak hang out with us." Libby butted in a little more aggressively than the others.

So they've never like me? They've been planning this for ages and then only delayed because they _felt sorry for me?! _I felt like I was going to be sick.

"Fine." Was all I could manage in reply. I wanted to scream at them, I wanted to hit something but my brain was too jumbled up.

"So you're not mad?" Justine asked in a timid voice.

I choked back tears before replying. "Oh no, just disappointed."

"Look we're really sorry, but we hate getting bullied because of you." Justine explained.

"No I understand and I'm sorry for causing all this." I said sarcastically before storming off.

I hid in the girls' bathroom for the rest of the afternoon just softly crying to myself. Whenever someone would come in, I'd instantly freeze and keep silent until they left, then I'd let the tears leak out again.

"Things don't seem to be working out for us do they?" Mom said as she held me in her arms that night when I finally let the full blown sobs escape.

"Do you want me to call the school and report them?" She asked softly as she stroked my blonde hair.

I sniffed. "What's that going to achieve?" I asked as I tried to wipe my eyes.

Mom shrugged.

"Danielle, what would you think if I asked if you wanted to start a new life?" Mom asked when I'd finally calmed down.

"I would say yes in a heartbeat." I answered in an angry voice. "Why?"

"Because I might just be able to give us that."

"Huh?"

"Charlie has asked us if we want to move in with him. I know this is a big step and it's fine if you don't want to, but there's a vacant space in town where I can open up the little gift shop I've always wanted to open. You could start a new school and make new friends and I'm sure Charlie's daughter will have no problem with you. I've heard that she's a lovely girl and likes reading like you do."

I could see how much moving in with Charlie meant to my mom. It wasn't my first idea; after all, I'd only met the guy a few times and I'd never met this daughter of his. Well, if it made my mom happy.

"Okay then." I finally said.

"You mean you want to do it?" Mom gasped and I nodded. "Are you sure?" She checked and I nodded again.

"Oh Danni! This is our lives' next great adventure; you'll see." She said pulling me into a tight hug and kissed the top of my head.

So here we were. Five months later we're now driving towards Forks for our 'next great adventure' with the back seat and the truck stuffed with boxes of our stuff. We'd sold most of our other stuff; mainly things that my dad had gotten us. Too many painful memories sold cheap online or at the many garage sales we had. So now we don't really own a lot but my mom said the beauty of memories is that we can build new ones as soon as old ones become tainted and painful.

My mom will be opening her new gift shop tomorrow, but of course my mom didn't want any old gift shop. She wanted to sell things that had 'spiritual value'. She's already drafted me into working part time there, helping her sell, fossils, dream catchers, crystals and many other beautiful things that I had to admit were pretty impressive. She was thinking about asking Bella to help out but it turned out she already had a job.

Isabella Swan: my soon to be housemate. My mom had already met her and described her as a shy, awkward yet kind girl. Although from what my mom was telling me, it seemed that Bella has given Charlie quite a bit of grief since she started dating this boy. I heard that she randomly ran away from home only for Charlie to get a call a few days later for Renee, his ex-wife, that Bella had had a nasty accident at some hotel in Phoenix.

I sat up straighter when we past a sign saying 'Welcome to Forks'. Mom seemed to perk up too and she had a huge smile on her face as we approached our new home. We pulled up outside a normal looking house with a police cruiser and an old red truck parked up outside.

The front door opened and mom dashed out of the car.

"Welcome Janet." Charlie beamed as he walked towards us. "How was the journey?"

"Rainy and boring." I answered for her as I climbed out of the car, clutching my scrap book and a few of my other favourite sketch books and fictional books.

"Oh Danielle hates travelling, she always has done, even as a baby." Mom explained.

"Yeah well, he doesn't need a life story mom." I said a little embarrassed.

"But I could use a drink." My mom said poking Charlie in the chest.

"Sure come inside." Charlie said leading us in.

I'd never been to Charlie's house before and I looked around with interest. It was quite plain inside and I'm sure my mom wouldn't hesitate to add her taste around the house. There were pictures of a girl that kept reappearing which I were sure were of Bella.

I stood awkwardly in the kitchen as my mom helped herself to a drink – at least she seemed to know where everything was around here. I was the real alien invader. Hmmm, that would be a great idea for another story. I could imagine them swooping in on alien space crafts, but these ones would be friendly. It would be the human race that would be evil and try to kill the invaders.

"Do you want anything Danielle?" Charlie asked holding a can of beer in his hand.

"Ummm, no thank you." I said awkwardly. "Please call me Danni."

Danielle always sounded too formal to me and it made me feel more at ease if people just called me Danni.

"Ok, Danni." Charlie replied just as awkwardly. I couldn't really understand how a house filled with socially awkward people was going to work out, but I guess we just needed to get to know each other.

I jumped as I heard the front door open and then slam shut behind whoever it was.

"Bells is that you?" Charlie called over my head and I heard a set of footsteps approaching us.

However there wasn't just one person, but two.

"Yeah it's me and Edward." Bella said as she entered the room and froze when she saw my mom and I and the boy behind her stopped behind her as well.

The boy was handsome with weird bronze coloured hair and even weirder, golden eyes. He was tall and Bella just about came up to his shoulder.

Bella was also very beautiful and it made me shuffle uncomfortably. She had long brown hair and the most beautiful shade of brown eyes I'd ever seen. She was about the same height as me, but maybe a few centimetres taller. I wished that I looked like her. My skin was pale like hers, but I had dirty blonde hair that fell to my shoulders in loose curls and my eyes were a deep blue.

"Bella, Edward," Charlie seemed to say Edward's name with a hint of resentment. Did he not like him? "This is Danielle or Danni as she likes to be called, and of course you both know Janet."

"It's lovely to meet you Danielle." Edward said to me; the way he said it made me feel like I'd flashed back into one of my classic books. And I'm pretty sure Charlie mentioned I preferred to be called Danni. "And it's a pleasure to see you again Janet."

"Likewise." My mom replied as she fiddled with her mug of coffee.

I just nodded, not knowing what to say.

I looked up and Bella and her eyes seemed to bore into mine. It made me feel self conscious and I got the feeling that she was critically judging me like my mom would judge an antique before she bought it. It was like she was instantly jumping to negative conclusions as she furrowed her eyebrows at me before looking away and pursing her lips and blushing.

"Edward was going to help me with some homework." Bella announced to Charlie, seemingly ignoring my mom and I completely.

Charlie grunted and nodded before Bella made her way upstairs with Edward following like some sort of lap dog.

"Leave your door open!" Charlie called out.

I bit my lip and looked down at the floor. I guess that went better than I thought.

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**I hope you liked the first chapter. Hopefully more is to come soon and please let me know your thoughts and leave a review. **

**Taurus Pixie**


	2. Sketching

**Yo guys and thank you so much for the amazing response for the first chapter. Your reviews were awesome! I hope you enjoy the next chapter.**

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_**2: Sketching**_

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I sighed as I tried to keep my attention on the poetry book in front of me. Mom was dealing with a customer and had instructed me to continue reading while she helped them out. She'd decided that she was going to continue educating me at home. She had done for most of her life because she had really strong views on education, but finally agreed to let me start high school a few years ago. After moving here though and because of the incident with my 'friends' she had decided it would be better to home school me again. I guess that's why I found it difficult to make friends. There weren't many kids in my neighbourhood while growing up so I rarely had much contact with anyone else unless I went shopping or something.

I shook my head again when I realised I was distracted once more and tried to refocus on Carol Ann Duffy. My mom was really passionate about her work and I could understand that; some of her work is an eye opener.

"Have you finished reading?" Mom asked as she poked her head through the beaded curtains.

I nodded my head and placed the book down before I heard my mom sigh.

"Seen as you've been working all morning, I think I'll give you a large break this afternoon."

My eyes lit up and I looked at her in surprise. My mom was usually strict about my work schedule so it came as a huge shock for her to be doing this.

"I've decided to send you on a field trip of exploration." She explained smiling at me. "There's a little reservation about a half an hour drive anyway."

"Yeah I've heard of it. The Quileute one, right?" I asked.

She nodded. "There are some lovely beaches and rock pools there and seen as the forecast seems okay today, why don't you take your paints and sketch book and discover some wildlife for me?"

I beamed and nodded my head. Drawing was one of my most favourite things to do.

"Take my car and be back before dinner." She said and motioned for me to leave.

"I'll see you later then." I said as she handed me her keys.

I drove to La Push and was fascinated the whole time by the tall wall of trees on the side of the road. It was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen and felt like I was in one of my story books. I got there a bit quicker than my mum predicted and I pulled up outside the beach. It was deserted and the waves crashing against the shore sounded so relaxing that I span around in a little circle while looking up at the overcast sky.

I dug the heel of my shoe into the sand and made weird shaped footprints as I made my way down the beach. Large piles of driftwood lines the beach before thickening out into woodland. I could see islands in the distance as I walked over to a cliff sticking out at the end of the beach. I climbed onto it, getting clay all over the bottom of my shoes but I didn't really care. I almost slipped a few times and laughed out loud when I did, but all the while I felt like someone was watching me. I looked around but couldn't see anyone so I just shrugged it off.

I found a rock pool and instantly pulled out my sketch book and paint from my satchel. There was a wide range of crab and some large plankton and a fish I had never seen before, but I guessed that it was a small horse mackerel.

I flicked through my sketchbook, passing by all the other drawings of family members, animals and mythical creatures until I finally reached a clean page right at the end. It looked like I would have to by another one soon.

I chewed on the end of my paintbrush as I tried to figure out which amazing sea creature to draw first.

"Hi." A deep voice made my jump and I bit into the end of my paintbrush hard.

"Ouch!" I yelped.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scary you." The strange voice sounded amused.

I looked up to see a tall native boy looking down at me. He had long black hair pulled back into a pony tail and the darkest eyes I had ever seen. He was very handsome and _tall. _

"I wasn't scared." I said blushing. "My paintbrush just got too tasty." I added awkward and mentally slapped myself for being so damn awkward all the time.

He just laughed though.

"I'm Jacob." He said and reached down to take my hand. I thought he was offering to shake my hand, but when I hesitantly grabbed it he ended up pulling me up off the sandy ground.

"Thanks." I said as I brushed the sand off me.

"Well?" Jacob said and I looked at him panicked.

"Well what? What did I do?"

Jacob laughed again. "You're a strange one. I meant aren't you going to tell me your name?"

"Oh." I awkwardly blushed again. "It's Danni."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that a boy's name?" Jacob asked smiling and raising a thick black eyebrow.

I frowned. "No. It's short for Danielle, but I just preferred being called Danni."

"Danni it is then." He said and I looked around the beach not knowing what else to say.

"Wait a second, Danielle?" Jacob said in recognition. "Are you Charlie's new girlfriend's daughter?"

"Yeah." I replied. "How did you know that?"

"Charlie wouldn't shut up about the two of you. So be honest. How much do you hate Forks?" He asked putting his hands in his coat pocket.

"How could I hate it? It's beautiful here. The rain is relaxing and there's so many trees I've never seen before and La Push seems just as beautiful." I explained in awe.

Jacob looked at me like I'd just spoken a foreign language.

"Well you'd be the first." He said seriously and I gave him a weird look.

He cleared his throat and changed the subject. "So how do you like Charlie and Bella?"

I frowned slightly as we began walking down the beach.

"Charlie's cool, but Bella seems to not really like me very much." I answered honestly.

"Bella?" Jacob asked shocked. "Nah, she's a great girl, why would she hate you?"

I shrugged my shoulders.

"She just gives me really cold stares and when she rarely speaks to me, it's like I'm just dirt on the bottom of her shoe." I explained.

Jacob was quiet for a few seconds.

"Maybe she's just not used to having two new women in her home." Jacob explained. "I'm sure once you get to know each other, you'll be great friends."

I admired his optimism, but somehow I doubted it.

"So where did you live before moving to this dump?" Jacob asked. I was surprised that he was still talking to me. Normally people just ignored me or got bored and left, but Jacob seemed generally interested. I like him.

"Just in Port Angeles." I answered. "My dad ran off with this woman who was twenty years younger than him. She knew he was married but she went after him anyway. My dad being the pathetic weak man that he is went along with it and he left about a year ago. I haven't seen him since although he still sends me money from time to time. Then my mom met Charlie and here I am."

Jacob was quiet.

"That sucks." He finally said and I sighed.

We continued walking in silence before he broke it again.

"Shouldn't you be in school?" He asked and I raised my eyebrows at him.

"Shouldn't you?" I demanded.

He laughed.

"Day off. I was out buying parts for my car that I'm re-building and decided I needed to go for a walk and I'm glad I did."

"You re-build cars?"

"From time to time." He replied. "Anyway you didn't answer my question ditcher." He winked and my heart skipped a beat.

"Oh, I don't go to school." I answered before looking down at the sand awkwardly.

"Really? How come?"

I shrugged. "My mom doesn't really agree with the education system at schools so she taught me at home from a young age. I went to high school for a year, but that didn't umm, work out."

Jacob raised an eyebrow but didn't question me on that one and I was thankful. I didn't want to scare him off that every friend I've ever had ditched me because I made them look bad.

"So why does your mom disagree with schools?" He asked confused.

"I don't really know." I explained. "She describes it as being like a cage that won't allow talent and intelligence to prosper. She says it kills who we truly are although I think that's an exaggeration."

"I thought school was meant to be a place of learning that made you intelligent; Isn't that the general idea of school?" Jacob laughed. I loved his laugh.

"Oh really? My mom said it prevents you from noticing detail." I was worried that I might be sounding like a snob at this point, but while at school I couldn't help but notice how desperate people were to fit in and be people they weren't. Well, most of them. Not to sound like a smart ass but even the hard classes were too easy for me.

Jacob smirked and knocked his shoulder into mine. "I hardly doubt that, Danni."

The way he said my name made me smile for some reason. I just liked hearing him say it.

"Hmmm...What colour is a black bird?"

"Black?"

I giggled and shook my head slowly.

"Anyway, I better head home." Jacob announced and I felt slightly sad at the thought. "My dad will probably be wondering where I am."

"Will I see you around?" I asked worried.

"You better!" Jacob said as he turned around to head the opposite way.

We smiled at each other for what felt like an eternity.

"See you later then." He said and almost tripped over his own feet when he turned around.

I giggled. "Only if you don't injure yourself first."

"Right." Jacob said, blushing.

~ oOo ~

I placed my book down when I heard Bella, my mom and I guessed Edward walked through the door. Edward rarely left Bella's side and it was almost like he was her shadow or something.

"Such a gentleman, thank you dear." I heard my mom say to Edward.

I shuddered. My mom seemed to have a soft spot for Edward for his seemingly old fashioned ways. There was nothing wrong with being polite but you could only take it so far before becoming borderline creepy.

I placed my book back on my shelves that Charlie had put up for me in my new room. This room was a lot smaller than my old one but I could still fit most of my old things in. It was a horrible shade of purple, but Charlie had said I could re-decorate. I was thinking blue to match the outside rain and the ocean that was a drive away. Maybe I could even paint some sea creatures on the wall if Charlie would let me. My closet and draws were in the fat corner and my keyboard was next to my bed and my desk fit nicely under the window. My room faced the back garden where there was hardly any sunlight so whenever I was in my room I had to have my light on, even in the middle of the day.

"Danni?" I heard my mom call. "Could you come down here?"

I heaved myself off my bed and dragged myself downstairs. I knew Bella and Edward were still down there and I didn't really want anything to do with them.

Bella gave me a funny look when I reached the bottom of the stairs and then pulled Edward upstairs with her.

I rolled my eyes and tried to stop myself from tearing her hair out.

"Hey mom." I said once I found her in the kitchen unpacking the shopping.

"Hey Danni, did you finish your drawings?" She asked.

"Not exactly, I got slightly distracted." I said honestly.

"Ah yes the beach is beautiful." Mom laughed.

I bit my lip. "That's one way of putting it." I said in an almost dreamy voice. I almost slapped myself when I heard what I said. That wasn't like me at all.

Mom laughed again. "What do you mean?" She asked before gasping. "Is this about a boy?"

"No!" I answered too quickly and blushed. "Well I did see this really amazing guy – UGH!"

Curse me and my big mouth!

Mom gasped again. "Tell me everything!" She demanded, the shopping forgotten about.

"He's Native American and his name is Jacob." I explained.

"Jacob Black?"

"I don't know, I just know his name is Jacob and we just got talking."

"I bet a cookie that's Jacob Black. I've met him and his father Billy Black. Nice family although it was awful what happened." She said, her voice going all sad.

"Why what happened?" I asked curiously.

"Billy's wife, Sarah, died in a car crash several years ago; left the family devastated."

I gasped. That must've been horrible! I couldn't imagine losing my mom in a million years.

Mom sighed.

"Anyway, its Bella's birthday tomorrow and the Cullens are throwing her a party and Charlie will be working late, so it's just me and you tomorrow kid." She winked.

I smiled but internally cringed at the mention of Bella. Why did I get the feeling that Bella and I are probably never going to be able to see eye to eye?

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**Sorry if it seemed like it took so long. I'm not normally this slow, but college is driving me crazy. So many essays! I just feel like rocking backwards and forwards in a corner somewhere. Please leave a review and let me know what you thought.**

**Taurus Pixie**


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